Charts to Help with Daily Routines for Special Needs Kids

Are you tired of repeating yourself? Do you have to tell your kids the same thing 100 times a day? If so, we hope you’ll try these handy charts!

Task analysis looks at all the necessary steps it takes to complete an activity. It breaks down the task into manageable chunks. Think of it like a recipe.

Some things I use task analysis for in my home:

Brushing Teeth

Using the restroom

After school procedure

Getting ready in the morning

For us, it seems like these times a day often lead to nagging. “Did you rinse the toothpaste out of the sink? Don’t forget to put the toiler seat down! Hang your backpack on the hook. You have to brush your hair for school!”

These situations easily turn into power struggles. Instead, we put our kids in control by having them follow task analysis charts. These visual charts work wonders, because children respond better to visual instructions versus verbal instruction. This is especially true for children with communication delays or children on the autism spectrum.

Determine the activity that you want to use.

Write down the specific steps to complete the activity. How specific you are depends on the age and ability of your child. A morning routine actually consists of several tasks, but for my 8 year old daughter I combined all the tasks for one chart. For some children, getting dressed could be a chart on its own.

Put on pants

Button pants

Put on shirt

Put on socks

Put on shoes

Tie shoes

Create the chart. Find clip art, draw pictures, or take photographs to illustrate each step. I prefer to pair the picture with the written words. This aides in reading development and keeps your prompting consistent.

Introduce the chart. Show your child the chart. I would suggest doing this in a calm moment. Do not try to introduce a new “Get Ready for School Chart” when you have woken up late and are dangerously close to missing the bus. Show the chart to your child the night before. Tell him/her that in the morning you are going to play a game to see if he/she can get ready without Mommy saying a word. Role play that night. Talk about each picture and what it means. Point to the steps as your child carries out the action.

Implement the chart. I suggest using a system of least-to-most prompts: Verbal, gestural, model, physical prompts. First start with verbal prompts, because it is the least intrusive. If needed, move to the next type of prompt.

Verbal: What is the next step on your chart?
Gestural: Point to the next step.
Model: Show the child how to do the step.
Example: Show the child how to put the toothpaste on the toothbrush.
Physical: Hand over hand help the child put the toothpaste on the toothbrush.

I post these charts in places that the children can see and access independently. The toothbrushing and bathroom charts are posted on the mirror in the bathroom. The “After School” chart is posted on our door that leads in from the garage (right beside where I want the kids to hang up their coats).

Jessica Branch is the writer for Twigs Off the Branches. Childhood is such an amazing adventure, and she hopes to provide you with inspiration to enhance it for the children in your life.Jessica has never been the girl you go to for fashion advice or cooking tips, but she just may have a killer recipe for play dough or quick tips to make an effective visual schedule. Jessica has worn several hats in the field of education: teacher, supervisor, parent, college instructor, and researcher.Just as you might tell your friends about the amazing sale you saw on the boots she has been eyeing, Jessica wants to share with you what she is finding.The research shows that there is a huge gap between what is best practice for young children and what is being implemented in schools.Teachers do not have the time to read research studies, analyze the findings, and apply the information to their classrooms.If teachers do not have the time, surely parents do not either (Jessica has three kids, she knows that sometimes a 5 minute shower is a luxury).